Centaus and Lapiths

In class we have discussed the evolution of Greek Art—from the Orientalizing and Geometric periods to the Classical style of Periclean Athens during the construction of the Parthenon. Perhaps the best way to study this change is to compare two works from the two different periods portraying the same subject. The mythological battle of the Lapiths versus the Centaurs was portrayed in Greek sculpture in both the Archaic and the Classical period and most likely persisted throughout the Ancient Greek era. The people of Athens prided themselves on being a powerful military force in the face of barbarism. This ideology is embodied in sculpture, the numerous reliefs on the metopes of the Parthenon as well as the eastern and western Pedimental sculptures.

            The bronze sculpture of the Man and Centaur, constructed ca. 750 BCE, certainly represents the style of the period in which it was made. Art from the Greek Geometric period (900-700 BCE) is characterized by a common generalization of forms, especially that of the human figure. Stokstad considers the Man and Centaur “pleasing from multiple viewpoints” because of the geometric negative space (105). However, the sculpture is intended to convey a battle scene while it seems as though the man and his enemy, the Centaur, are embracing or making a more amiable exchange. We can also see this ambiguity in the art of Ancient Egypt and the near East. Because the composite pose requires the human form to be so inexpressive, it is often difficult for the modern viewer to infer the narratives portrayed. Also before the Persian sack of Athens, Greek art showed some Persian influence, such as the stylized hair of the Peplos Kore.

            The Classical Age, with a rise in anthropocentrism and more attention to human endeavor, saw a change in art in that it became more attentive to the world as it is perceived. After the Persian attack, Athens emerged with a new and refined sense of style, eradicating the previous Persian and Near Eastern influences. The marble metope reliefs from the Doric frieze on the Parthenon were crafted during this High classical period—Ancient Greek art’s decided peak. These reliefs so realistically represent the battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs that the narrative of the myth becomes much clearer than in the sculpture from the Geometric period.  We can see the struggle in the very muscles of the beings, contracted and tense in mid-battle. There is movement in the dynamic compositions—emphasized with diagonals instead of the horizontal and vertical stillness we see from the Geometric sculpture. This new representation of the human form reveals the emotion inherent in the human condition and the dynamic and organic nature of flesh, muscle, and clothing.